| Much of the work scientists are doing
on stem cells raises ethical questions. This is particularly true
where they are using embryonic tissue as a source of stem cells
and when they are ‘cloning’ an individual to produce
a source of tissue matched embryonic cells.
The embryonic tissue used to provide embryonic stem cells has to
come from somewhere. In the case of the original
researchers, Thomson’s team used spare embryos from couples
having fertility treatment, embryos which the couples concerned
had willingly donated. Gearhart used primordial germ cells from
foetuses which had been medically aborted as a source of his stem
cells.
There have been some very powerful reactions to this new area of
biotechnology, with some people strongly in support of the work
and finding no major ethical problems, whilst others are equally
strongly opposed to the research on ethical, moral and religious
grounds.
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